


How to Plan the Perfect Date

by Daidairo



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: F/M, but is it really a date when they're not yet dating?, horrendously late to the party but this is for lonashipping week on tumblr, prompt: first date
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-15 04:19:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15404811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daidairo/pseuds/Daidairo
Summary: When Moon received a letter of challenge from Gladion, she thought she was ready for whatever new strategy he might have devised.She wasn't expecting a cheesy romantic date.





	How to Plan the Perfect Date

_"Moon,_

_This is a formal invitation for you to meet me at Hau'oli Beachfront on the evening of 14 Oct, at 6 o'clock._

_Let me know if you are available._

_Gladion"_

Moon stared at the neatly written letter she had found in her letterbox. Her brows furrowed, and she called out her Rotom Dex to fire off a quick email to one of her best friends.

_What's this letter about? -Moon_

A reply came almost immediately.

_It's something I owe you. Figured it deserves something special. So, are you free or not? -Gladion_

Something he owed her? A few minutes passed before it clicked. Two weeks ago, just before her birthday, Gladion was due for his monthly visit at the League. For the first time in the three years since she became Champion, he hadn't been able to make it, on account of the huge plumbing failure that had occurred at Aether Paradise. Moon had been wondering when he would rechallenge her.

Still... a formal letter of challenge. Moon shook her head, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Gladion didn't use instant messages, saying that he preferred emails to a constant barrage of spam photos and videos. Hau once suggested that maybe Gladion was just too old fashioned for modern technology, and ever since then, their tiny circle of friends had adopted it as a joke, much to his annoyance.

"Snail mail is practically cavemen standards, Gladion," Moon murmured, chuckling. And why Hau'oli? Was it because he didn't want to bother going through the Elite Four again just to reach her? Or was he setting up a specific battle location? Part of a new strategy he had in mind, perhaps?

 _Whatever it is, we'll be ready for him,_  she thought as she sent off a reply.

_Sure. See you tomorrow! Can't wait >=D -Moon_

  
\---

  
**_Chapter 4: Appearance_**

_Appearance is everything if you want to make a good first impression! The point of dressing well is to respect your partner, and show them that you thought enough about them to look nice for them! Of course, it would be an additional boon if they find you irresistibly attractive in your new duds, so away with the sneakers and homeknitted sweaters; bring on the fine suits and polished boots!_

_First, consider the hair..._

Gladion scowled as he snapped the book shut. It was stupid; why on earth would he have to dress up specially to meet Moon? It wasn't as if he was really taking her on a date. Just giving her a nice evening out to make up for missing her birthday.

"You owe it to her," Lillie had insisted. "18th is a special birthday, and while we all understand that you had no choice, you still need to make it up to her. She's your friend, after all!"

Gladion knew she was right. In fact, though he had never said so out loud, Moon might well be his closest friend. But what did he know about going out with friends? Almost all the time he spent with Moon alone involved battling and training their teams. With work keeping him so busy, he didn't have much time to spend with other human friends (not that he had a lot of those, either). He enjoyed playing with his Pokemon, of course, but even with his limited social experience, Gladion knew that Refreshing your human friends was not a good idea.

He'd mentioned the dilemma briefly when he was sparring with Nanu on one of their frequent training sessions. The old man had snorted with amusement, then handed him a small red book, dusty with age, from underneath the counter at the police station.

**_Title: How to Plan the Perfect Date._ **

_"It's not a... we're not dating!"_

_"Yeah, whatever. Same concept, right? You go out with someone and give them a good time, make sure they have fun. Just minus all the romantic stuff. G'on, take it!"_

It made sense, kind of. So Gladion had accepted the book from his unofficial mentor. It was obviously old, what with the talk of apricorn Pokeballs and dated information regarding Furfrou coats, but at least it had offered a few ideas on what to do to make your  ~~date~~  outing partner happy.

All he had to do was ignore the bits about twenty-one red roses and holding hands.

And the fancy suits.  


\---

  
Hau'oli Beachfront was crowded as usual with tourists and locals alike. The evening sun cast a warm golden glow over sand and sea.

Moon sauntered down the stairs, stepping over a wandering Slowpoke, weaving her way between running children and their Pokemon. Wingulls flew above, sending out their distinctive cry.

It was a scene she had seen many times before, ever since she moved to Hau'oli City with her mother. Despite the noise and the occasionally annoying tourists, there was a peaceful familiarity that made Moon's heart warm with affection each time she walked down the beach. The feelings of contentment increased when she spotted the only other person apart from herself who wasn't obviously dressed for the shore.

He stood under a palm tree, feeding beans to Silvally from his sling bag. Over the years, he had abandoned the Edgy Gangster look, but his new wardrobe choices continued to revolve around black. Today, he was dressed in a simple black hoodie over dark grey jeans. No holes, but the wrist of one sleeve was distressingly frayed from continuous chewing by Silvally.

Silvally spotted her first, and gave a shrill cry, bounding over to greet her. Moon hugged him, laughing when he tried to eat her hair.

"Yes, it's been a long time. Good to see you too, boy!" she said, happily scratching under his chin. Silvally licked her face enthusiastically in response, and she pushed him away, still laughing. "I have sunscreen on my face, you really don't want to eat too much of that."

"He's missed you," Gladion said, a faint smile on his face. Moon looked up at him.

"Not enough to send me a physical letter inviting me to the beach, though?" She chuckled when he ducked his head, a scowl creasing his forehead. "Seriously, you could have saved on postage and just called me."

He muttered something under his breath.

"What was that?"

"It... sounded like a good idea at the time, okay?" His cheeks were flushed with embarrassment, and Moon had to fight the instinct to laugh in his face again.

"Well, it may be a bit outdated, but it still works," she said. He sighed. "Come on, let's go!" She reached for Decidueye's Pokeball, but to her surprise, Gladion turned and started walking, recalling Silvally as he went.  
"This way," he said over his shoulder, dodging a frisbee and a yapping Lillipup. Surprised, Moon followed, wondering where he had in mind for their battle.

They walked down almost the entire stretch of beach to a slightly quieter corner, away from the general crowd. Gladion stopped in front of a small wooden hut labelled 'Meals with Mordecai', and spoke to the muscular man standing behind the window counter.

"Yes, yes, welcome!" he boomed, smiling at him and Moon. "We've got some lovely dory in today!"

"Wait, what?" Moon stared at Gladion in confusion. "Aren't we--"

"Eat first," Gladion said, taking a menu from Mordecai. He gave her a sharp look. "Considering how loudly your stomach was growling while we walked here, I'll bet that, once again, you haven't eaten a proper meal since breakfast."

"That's not true!" Moon protested, following him to one of the many wooden tables arranged outside the hut. "I had lunch!"

"Really. What was it?"

"...... One Sweet Malasada," she admitted. Gladion raised his eyebrows. "Hey, I was busy! There were a lot of challengers on Mount Lanakila today, okay? There really isn't time to go out and eat when the day is full. I've told you that before."

It was true.

"Professor Kukui said that all members of the league are allowed an hour and a half off for lunch breaks every day," Gladion pointed out. Which was also true. The other members of the Elite Four often went for their breaks while Moon was fighting the challenger. But...

"I just... really like watching the others' battles," she mumbled. Gladion smirked. Glowering, she threw the gauntlet back at him. "Well, what about you? Wicke says you skip dinner half the time just to finish going through your piles of paperwork! Pot can't call the kettle black, you know!"

"That's different."

"How, pray tell?"

"Paperwork isn't as physically draining as Pokemon battles," he retorted. "Besides, food and drinks are completely banned in the League, but I can grab a coffee or cocoa from the vending machines any time I need to."

"Any time you need to," Moon repeated. "So how many times have you gone to get one while you were busy, hmm?"

Now it was Gladion's turn to glower at her, and this time she didn't bother hiding her laughter.

 _I've really missed this,_  she thought as her giggles subsided, while he mumbled something like 'point taken' under his breath. The last time they met was more than a month ago, after all. And it was really quite sweet of him to think of feeding her before they got down to their battle.

"Ready to order?"  


\---  


**_Chapter 5: The Activity_ **

_Though it may sound like a good idea, take romantic movies and plays out of your list! The most important thing about a date is to spend time together getting to know each other. Activities where you have to focus on something else entirely will be utterly distracting. You and your date may end up feeling like you could have done the same thing on your own, or with another friend, and we can't have that!_

_....... 6. A romantic sail down the river_  
_We've established that kayaking is not a good dating activity, because you want some face-to-face time, rather than the awkward silence that arises when you're seated one in front of the other, unable to have a proper conversation. But hire a rear-facing rowboat, seat yourself facing your date, and you're good to go! Hope you've spent some time training those biceps..._

The grilled dory was tasty, as were the mangoes and pineapples that appeared for dessert. The meals Mordecai served were simple, which meant that he didn't get large crowds at his establishment, but since he only opened the restaurant for dinner, as a hobby, he wasn't too fussed about that, he told them.

Moon seemed to enjoy chatting to him, especially after his Rowlet came flying onto his shoulder. Gladion watched as she advised Mordecai on the best fruits to feed it, and the best types of baths to keep it clean, especially after evolution. Whenever she spoke about Pokemon, there was a light in her eyes and an excitement in her smile that made her...  _her._  Seeing her laugh as the Rowlet circled their heads, Gladion felt a smile touch his own lips.

_......and above all, you must strive to make your date smile!_

The words from the book rose unbidden to his mind, and he shook his head slightly to clear it. They weren't dating. But she was his friend, and this night---this entire outing---was planned to make her happy.

He hadn't thought about it before the book, but he realized that he did like to see her smile. When she smiled at him in greeting, or chuckled at Silvally's adorable antics. When she grinned across the Champion's room at him, and he grinned back instinctively without even realizing it.

Even when she smirked at him after each of his losses, gloating that he had yet to take the throne from her... He didn't like losing, and he was still determined to beat her one day, but it was hard to remain sore about his defeat when she was standing before him, laughing, radiant with that inner glow she often seemed to exude.

"Thanks for the dinner, Mordecai!"

"Aye! Come back soon, you and your boyfriend!" he said with a wink.

"He's not---"

"We're not---"

Both their voices trailed off when they realized that the man had already disappeared into his hut with their empty plates.

"Oh well." Moon stood up and stretched. "Maybe someday we'll clear that up."

For some reason, Gladion felt an unreasonable sense of disappointment at her words. Did it really annoy him that much that a stranger would continue to think they were dating because they hadn't corrected him in time?

He stood up as well, slinging his bag over his shoulder. Moon looked at him expectantly.

"So! Where to, now?" she asked.

Gladion lifted his Ride Pager. "It's time to surf."

He could have done as the book suggested and arranged a boat ride, but Gladion didn't think that awkward silences between them would be an issue. Though their acquaintance had begun with awkward moments (he really hadn't thought they were friends), those days had long since passed. With Moon, he rarely had to rack his brains for a conversation topic, and even when they ran out of things to say for the moment, the quiet lull between them felt natural. Comfortable.

And when they had both mounted their Sharpedo, she grinned at him and said the words he suspected she would.

"Race you!"  


\---  


"I did  _not_  lose."

"You went the wrong way."

"If you'd told me where we were headed, I would have won.'

"It's your own fault for trying to race without even knowing the course."

Moon stuck out her tongue at him, and he smirked.

They had landed on a small island in the Melemele Sea, past the ring of rocks that circled the eastern point of the main island. It was tiny, part of an atoll with an almost circular barrier reef around it. Although night had fallen, they could hear the occasional call of Wingulls and Pelippers from the rockier side of the island. Crawbrawlers scuttled around the beach, giving them a wide berth.

It was a peaceful place, quiet but for the sound of waves splashing gently on the pale sand. It felt almost a shame to start a battle here, Moon thought rather wistfully, taking a long gulp from her canteen. Why had Gladion chosen to come all the way out here for a battle?

Before she could ask, he stood, stowing his own bottle away.

"Almost there," he said. "They're just around the trees over there."

"Who's 'they'?" Moon asked, bewildered. Gladion smirked.

"You'll see."

She followed him towards the edge of the woods, where the waves lapped at the roots of the trees. Moon ducked underneath the branches and leaves, then straightened to see an entire shore full of Mareanie and Toxapex.

She gave a squeak of delight, hastily stifled by one hand. There was no sand; rocks of various sizes filled the entire coast. Rock pools were occupied by many of the sea star Pokemon, waiting for the tide to rise again.

Some were snacking on pieces of coral. Others were play-fighting, shooting Poison Stings at each other. In one sheltered corner, a mother Toxapex was distributing Corsola horns amongst her offspring, grunting angrily when one of them tried to take more than its share.

"This is amazing," Moon whispered, taking her Rotom-Dex out. "They're gorgeous!"

"Zzzt! But according to recorded information, Mareanie and Toxapex are not usually known to live in very large groups." Rotom rose out of Moon's hands to get a better angle, snapping away on its own.

"They live here because of the large amounts of coral around this lagoon," Gladion said. "Regular coral may not be as tasty as Corsola, but at least they don't fight back, so a lot of Mareanie and Toxapex raising families gather in places like this."

"Information updated! Bzzt-zzt! Gonna go grab some more shots!" Rotom buzzed.

"Careful you don't get hit by their spikes!" Moon warned as it flew off. She sat down in the shadow of a palm tree, unable to stop beaming. The poisonous sea stars were two of her favourite Pokemon species, and she had often lamented the fact that wild ones were so rare to spot. Now she could watch an entire group of them, eating and playing and injecting toxins into each other. She wondered if they used Lum Berries to cure themselves, or if they had an aquatic equivalent.

Gladion sat down beside her. "Happy belated birthday."

Moon turned to him. "Birthday?" she echoed, puzzled.

"The dinner, for your birthday," Gladion said. He turned to face her as well. "Sorry I couldn't make it."

"Ohhh. I told you, it's fine!" Moon shook her head exasperatedly. Had he been worried about it all this time? "Things must have been really hectic at Aether, and... Wait a minute. Did you... Did you ask me out today just to say you're sorry for that?"

Gladion blinked. "...Yes?"

Moon laughed, startling the Pokemon closest to them. All this time, she thought that Gladion had planned a strangely elaborate scheme to battle her, and now it turned out that all he wanted was to give her a birthday treat. It was completely unexpected, considering he had already given her a whole set of nutritious drinks earlier in the month. And the letter...

"You suck at writing invitation letters," she said in-between chuckles. Gladion still looked slightly bemused, and she laughed again at his expression. "I thought you were challenging me to a battle! Why didn't you just tell me what this was about?"

Gladion looked away, shrugging. "It... was supposed to be a surprise. Or something."

"Or something," Moon repeated. She giggled at the scowl growing on his face, and bumped his shoulder gently with hers. "Anyway, I had a lot of fun tonight. So thank you."

He nodded once. "You're welcome."

They sat together quietly for a while, watching the colony. A gentle sea breeze ticked their hair, bringing droplets of spray from the sea. It really was a lovely night.

Suddenly, Moon grinned. "Dinner at the beach, a sail by moonlight, and then stargazing on a lonely island? What did you do, consult Cheesy Dates for Dummies 101?" she teased.

She expected a scowl, which she received. She also expected him to glare at her and protest, but instead he refused to look at her, staring awkwardly to the side.

Moon's jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"

"Look, it was Nanu's idea! He said that every girl would be happy with a day out like that."

"Nanu?" It just got better. "He gave you a book on dating?  _Nanu?!"_

"Stop laughing!" Gladion glared at her. "Lillie said that 18 years was a big deal, and I had to do something special for---  _Stop laughing!_  I've never had--- I don't go out places with people, so... It wasn't like I had any better ideas!"

Moon wiped the tears from her eyes. It was hard, but she took pity on him and choked down her chuckles. "I really appreciate the effort."

"Doesn't sound very convincing, especially since you called it cheesy," he muttered.

"Well, it is! But really, Gladion." Moon leaned forward to peer at his face, and smiled reassuringly. "I haven't enjoyed myself so much in a while. It's been wonderful. Especially this place."

Gladion's face softened. "The Mareanie was my idea," he admitted. "I figured, you're more interested in poison stars than regular ones."

"You know me too well," she said with a grin. "Is that due to the number of times you got caught in my Toxic Stall?"

"That was only twice!"

"It was not only twice, I distinctively remember at least three times..."

"You have a terrible memory."

"Hah!" He was probably right, Moon admitted to herself. But there was no way she would let him have the last laugh. "I'm still the Champion. That you've never beaten."

"Polish your throne while you can," Gladion shot back. "You won't be there much longer."

They glared at each other. Then, simultaneously, they burst into laughter. The Pokemon around them grunted and squeaked in protest at the noise, scampering further away. Moon covered her mouth at once, her shoulders shaking in silent mirth. She glanced at Gladion and saw him take a deep breath to calm himself.

 _He really should laugh more,_  she thought. Although he often smiled now, he didn't laugh enough. A pity, really, when he had such a beautiful laugh that always made her want to laugh as well...

"I'll be waiting for you at the League," she said, smiling at him.

"Deal." He smirked back, then glanced at his dex. "It's getting late. We should call Charizards and head back."

"Right." Moon stood up and stretched. "A battle challenge to end the day. This really was the perfect date for me."

Gladion stood up as well. "Apart from the fact that I'm not the ideal boyfriend, huh."

"Not yet anyway, but I'm sure we could work on that."

Another blank silence.

"Did you... just... flirt with me...?" Gladion finally said.

_Oh well. Might as well be completely honest._

"I kind of have been for the past year, but thanks for noticing," Moon replied breezily. "Rotom! We're leaving!"

_"You what!?"_

She laughed at the flabbergasted look on his face. Stepping closer, she swiftly leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks for the perfect first date," she whispered. As she straightened, she raised her Ride Pager, and her rental Charizard came swooping down. She vaulted on with ease, and grinned down at Gladion.

"Wait---"

"See you at the League!"

They took off. The wind blew through her hair, and the stars shone down upon them. Rotom landed on her back, buzzing excitedly about the great shots it had gotten. Moon smiled.

Their next battle was going to be  _interesting._

**Author's Note:**

> I thought I could finish this in time for the end of Lonashipping week, but it ended up taking much longer than expected. Oh well. The prompt was First Date, but I also threw in those two lines from that famous meme/prompt. 8'D
> 
> In the actual game, you aren't allowed to surf past the rocky barrier surrounding every beach area, but I figured that's just video game mechanics, because they didn't make a world map connecting the islands. After all, you obviously CAN surf between the islands on Mantine. XD
> 
> The island Gladion brought them to is loosely based on the Green Island of Kure Atoll in Hawaii, where thousands of seabirds reside. Crown-of-Thorns starfish, which Mareanie and Toxapex are based on, can be found in the corals there as well.
> 
> Many thanks to my beta reader Artpharos!


End file.
